Jordanian architect Ammar Khammash wins Global
Award for Sustainable Architecture
Jordanian architect and artist Am-
mar Khammash is a 2019 laureate of
the Global Award for Sustainable Ar-
chitecture, along with four other ar-
chitects including Dr Werner Sobek,
Ersen Gursel, Rozana Montiel and
Jorge Lobos.
Created by architect and scholar
Jana Revedin in 2006, the interna-
tional award recognises five architects
each year who have contributed to sus-
tainable development and created in-
novative and participatory approaches
to meet societal needs.
According to the award’s announce-
ment online, Khammash was recog-
nised for his dedication to interdisci-
plinary scientific research, as well as
his artisanal and artistic approaches to
architecture.
Khammash’s projects include the
Wild Jordan Center, the Royal Acade-
my for Nature Conservation, the Darat
Al Funun workspace and the Columbia
Universit y Midd le Ea st Resea rch Cent-
er in Amman, as well as the Church of
the Apostles in Madaba. His approach
involves the use of locally-sourced,
natural materials to achieve context-
relevant designs.
“It appears that there is a growing
international trend to put architecture
back on the track of social and environ-
mental responsibilities, and away from
being a hostage of powerful visual out-
put that publishes well in the media,”
he said. “Our philosophy and meth-
odology of approach is entirely based
on the role of architecture in solving
problems, finding creative ways to co-
exist with the larger context, which
includes society and nature.”
Currently finalising two ecolodges
in Jordan (one in Yarmouk Reserve
and the other on the hot spring of Al
Himmeh in Mukhaibeh), Khammash
and his team are also working on
a number of competitions in Jordan
and Saudi Arabia. He noted that the
award will help him further his ap-
proach and convince clients who see
things differently.
“The recognition from this pres-
tigious award will help me change
the mentality of clients, politiciansand students,” he said, “ensuring that
architecture retains some degree of
modesty and symbiotic relationship
to people and nature, instead of over-
whelming, overpowering and out-
smarting the very reason we need to
build for.”
Khammash will be speaking at the
award’s symposium, to be held in Paris
in May.NEWS HIGHLIGHTS / 9